Jason Alba, Founder and CEO of JibberJobber.com (and my friend), has contributed "10 Things I've Learned About Relationships" to Carl Chapman's blog.
As Jason says, "relationships are key," and he offers ten tips for building stronger relationships. No matter what you do for a living, I believe it all comes down to relationships. When you are trying to make that sale, it's about your relationship with the buyer. When you are trying to find a great candidate to fill that big hole on your team, it's about your network of relationships. And, at the end of it all, it's still about relationships. (One of my life goals is to die [eventually!]surrounded by friends and family. That won't happen unless I have built a network of strong relationships.)
I'll give you Jason's list here, but see the article for more details. The details are worth it!
- Building relationships takes time.
- Relationships are two-way.
- Good relationships have honest communication.
- Real relationships require constant communication.
- Initiating a relationship can be a long process.
- Your value-add to them needs to be meaningful.
- You aren't likely to cash in on your network right away.
- For me, it's all about giving.
- Building relationships is personally rewarding.
- Building relationships starts with "Hi!"